11-04-2024  11:18 am   •   PDX and SEA Weather

  • Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump watches as Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during an ABC News presidential debate, Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

    What to Watch Ahead of the Presidential Election

    Election Day is nearly upon us. In a matter of hours, the final votes in the 2024 presidential election will be cast. History will be made regardless of who wins. America will either elect its first woman president in Democrat Kamala Harris or its first person convicted of a felony in Republican Donald Trump. And in a deeply divided nation, the election is a true toss-up. We know that there Read More
  • Music producer Quincy Jones poses for a portrait to promote his documentary

    Music Titan Quincy Jones Dies at 91

    Quincy Jones   died Sunday night at his home in Los Angeles. He was 91. Jones' historic career ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s record-setting “Thriller” to prize-winning film and television scores and collaborations with Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles. Jones rose from music school dropout to the very heights of show business, becoming one of the first Black executives to thrive in Hollywood. Over the past 60 years, it was Read More
  • This combination of photos shows Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, speaking during a rally in Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 12, 2024, and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, right, speaking during a rally in Warren, Mich., Nov. 1, 2024. (AP Photo)

    Harris and Trump in Sunbelt States During Final Weekend Before Election

    Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump are zeroing in on Sunbelt states as they embark on one last weekend quest to sway undecided voters in battleground states that will determine the next president. On Saturday, Harris encouraged supporters in Atlanta to vote early while Trump spoke in North Carolina about his days as a candidate coming to a close with this election. Harris ended her day in Charlotte, North Read More
  • House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., center, departs following an interview with The Associated Press, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

    Hakeem Jeffries Chooses Calm Over Chaos as Democrats Work to Win the House Majority

    The campaign for control of the House is a toss-up. Jeffries has logged 25,000 miles in 30 states trying to win the majority for Democrats. He is part of a new generation of leaders, taking over after Nancy Pelosi stepped aside. Read More
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NORTHWEST NEWS

African American Alliance On Homeownership Turns 25, Honors The Skanner Cofounder Bernie Foster

AAAH's executive director Cheryl Roberts recalls how the efforts of Bernie Foster led to an organization that now offers one-on-one counseling for prospective home buyers, homebuyer education, foreclosure prevention services, estate planning, assistance with down payments and more.

Police Say Fires Set at Ballot Boxes in Oregon and Washington Are Connected; ‘Suspect Vehicle’ ID'd

Surveillance images captured a Volvo stopping at a drop box in Portland, just before security personnel nearby discovered a fire inside the box. That fire damaged three ballots inside, while officials say a fire at a drop box in nearby Vancouver, Washington, early Monday destroyed hundreds of ballots.

Two Major Affordable Housing Developments Reach Milestones in Portland

Both will provide culturally specific supportive services to residents. 

Washington State AG and Ex-Sheriff Face off in Governor's Race

Former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert is trying to become Washington’s first GOP governor in 40 years. But he faces a difficult hurdle in the Democratic stronghold against longtime Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a darling of liberals for his many lawsuits against the Trump administration. 

NEWS BRIEFS

Troutdale Library Now Renovation Complete

Library provides refreshed experience for patrons with new, comfortable seating and carpeting ...

AG Rosenblum Releases Election Guidance to Law Enforcement and Message to Registered Oregon Voters

Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum: Haven’t received your ballot? Contact your county elections office! ...

Oregon Begins Rollout of New Housing Benefits for Eligible OHP Members With Health Conditions

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Oregon Department of Education Releases Cell Phone Policy Guidance

ODE recommends creating policies to limit or reduce cell phone use during the school day. ...

Metro, Central City Concern and Partners to Mark Affordable Housing Complex Grand Opening With Halloween Celebration

Meridian Gardens will offer 85 single room occupancy and studio apartments to people who are in substance use disorder recovery and...

Nevada lithium mine will crush rare plant habitat US said is critical to its survival, lawsuit says

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Conservationists and an advocacy group for Native Americans are suing the U.S. to try to block a Nevada lithium mine they say will drive an endangered desert wildflower to extinction, disrupt groundwater flows and threaten cultural resources. The Center for...

AP Top 25: Oregon a unanimous No. 1 ahead of 1st CFP rankings, followed by Georgia, Ohio State

Oregon was the unanimous choice for No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll on Sunday, strengthening its bid for the top spot in the College Football Playoff selection committee's first rankings of the season. The Ducks are No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the third straight...

Memphis hosts Missouri to start season

Missouri Tigers at Memphis Tigers Memphis, Tennessee; Monday, 8 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Tigers -4.5; over/under is 154.5 BOTTOM LINE: Memphis opens the season at home against Missouri. Memphis went 22-10 overall with a 13-2 record at...

Memphis Tigers open season at home against the Missouri Tigers

Missouri Tigers at Memphis Tigers Memphis, Tennessee; Monday, 8 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Tigers -4.5; over/under is 152.5 BOTTOM LINE: Memphis opens the season at home against Missouri. Memphis finished 13-2 at home a season ago while...

OPINION

The Skanner News 2024 Presidential Endorsement

It will come as no surprise that we strongly endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president. ...

Black Retirees Growing Older and Poorer: 2025 Social Security COLA lowest in 10 years

As Americans live longer, the ability to remain financially independent is an ongoing struggle. Especially for Black and other people of color whose lifetime incomes are often lower than that of other contemporaries, finding money to save for ‘old age’ is...

The Skanner Endorsements: Oregon State and Local Ballot Measures

Ballots are now being mailed out for this very important election. Election Day is November 5. Ballots must be received or mailed with a valid postmark by 8 p.m. Election Day. View The Skanner's ballot measure endorsements. ...

Measure 117 is a Simple Improvement to Our Elections

Political forces around the country have launched an all-out assault on voting rights that targets Black communities. State legislatures are restricting voting access in districts with large Black populations and are imposing other barriers and pernicious...

AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE NEWS

Supreme Court will weigh in on new mostly Black Louisiana congressional district, after election

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday it will take up a new redistricting case involving Louisiana's congressional map with two mostly Black districts. The court won't hear arguments until early next year and the 2024 elections are proceeding under the challenged map,...

Moldova's diaspora tipped the scales in a pivotal election. Critics question the vote's validity

CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — Moldovans living abroad voted in record numbers in a presidential runoff that secured victory for pro-Western President Maia Sandu, in a pivotal race that pitted her against a Russia-friendly opponent amid ongoing claims of Russian interference, voter fraud, and...

Here's what to watch as Election Day approaches in the U.S.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Election Day is nearly upon us. In a matter of hours, the final votes in the 2024 presidential election will be cast. In a deeply divided nation, the election is a true toss-up between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump. We know there...

ENTERTAINMENT

Music Review: Muna frontwoman Katie Gavin makes her solo debut with folky, evocative 'What A Relief'

On “What a Relief,” the debut solo album from Katie Gavin, the Muna frontwoman tackles love, family and selfhood through folk and country twang that departs from the band's usual dance-forward pop. Don't worry, this isn't the end of Muna — the trio of Gavin, Naomi McPherson and...

There's a ton of Hollywood stars on and off Broadway these days. Here's a game you can play

NEW YORK (AP) — There are so many Hollywood stars on New York theater stages or on the way that you might want to level up your stargazing game. Why not play some bingo? Sure, Robert Downey Jr., Daniel Dae Kim, Jim Parsons, Mia Farrow, and Katie Holmes are currently in New York, and...

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Nov. 3-9

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Nov. 3-9 Nov. 3: Actor Lois Smith is 94. Actor-radio personality Shadoe Stevens (“Dave’s World”) is 78. Singer Lulu is 76. Actor-comedian Roseanne Barr is 72. Actor Kate Capshaw (“Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”) is 71. Actor Kathy...

U.S. & WORLD NEWS

Jury sees video of subway chokehold that led to veteran Daniel Penny's manslaughter trial

NEW YORK (AP) — Jurors saw video Monday of Daniel Penny gripping a man around the neck on a subway train as...

Quincy Jones, music titan who worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson, dies at 91

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Remembering Quincy Jones: 10 career-spanning songs to celebrate his legacy

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Israel says it carried out ground raid into Syria, seizing a Syrian citizen connected to Iran

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military said Sunday it has carried out a ground raid into Syria, seizing a Syrian...

Israel investigates leaks that appear to have bolstered Netanyahu as Gaza truce talks stalled

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Moldova’s pro-Western president wins 2nd term in runoff overshadowed by Russian meddling claims

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CNN Wire Staff

(CNN) -- Former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky will appeal his convictions on numerous counts of child sexual abuse, a member of his defense team says.

After a trial that featured emotional and often graphic testimony from eight of Sandusky's victims, jurors late Friday convicted him of 45 of the 48 sexual abuse counts he faced involving 10 victims.

The eight victims, now young men, testified that they were boys when Sandusky forced them to engage in sexual acts with him. The acts occurred, they said, in showers in Penn State's athletic facilities; hotel rooms; and the basement of Sandusky's home, among other places. The abuse spanned more than 15 years.

After being found guilty, Sandusky, 68, was taken immediately to the jail in Centre County, Pennsylvania. Judge John Cleland said Friday he will be sentenced in about 90 days. He likely will be sentenced to serve the rest of his life behind bars.

Sandusky's defense team plans to file a motion for appeal, claiming he had ineffective counsel, defense attorney Karl Rominger said Sunday. Under Pennsylvania law, that motion cannot be filed until after sentencing.

If Cleland agrees to a hearing on the motion, lead defense attorney Joe Amendola would step aside and appear as a witness, the attorney said. Rominger said either he or another attorney would argue the motion.

The appellate claim will be based on Amendola's "talking to the media," Rominger said. And a linchpin of the appeal will be prosecutor Joe McGettigan's statements during his closing argument, when he told jurors that Sandusky could have proclaimed his innocence during an interview with NBC's Bob Costas. That violates Sandusky's right to post-arrest trial silence, Rominger said.

Rominger said he will ask Cleland to sentence Sandusky to serve concurrent sentences, with the maximum being 20 years. At the very least, he said, he hopes to get Cleland to acknowledge the good works Sandusky has done in his life.

Sandusky has a right to speak during sentencing, something Rominger said will be discussed in the coming weeks.

Rominger said on Saturday that he and Amendola attempted to withdraw from the case before the trial, telling Cleland the day before jury selection began that they did not feel adequately prepared and that it would be "unethical" for them to move forward. Cleland denied their request, he said. Rominger said he did not mention the issue earlier because a gag order was in place.

If Cleland denies the appeal motion, it would be likely to become part of a broader appeal, Rominger said. Ineffective counsel is a common appeal tactic, but a broader appeal may cite other reasons as well.

"If you win on one of the appeal issues, everything probably falls," Amendola said last week. "All we have to do is convince an appellate court that one of the issues we will raise is worthy of a reversal."

Rominger earlier pointed to "a lot of unique legal issues where (Cleland) made rulings that could be overturned -- not because they were, per se, wrong, but because the law in the area was so unclear."

Asked about the appeal Monday, Nils Frederiksen, spokesman for the Pennsylvania attorney general's office, said, "We're not going to fight the appellate process with press releases. We're confident that everything in the trial was handled appropriately."

Rominger acknowledged Sunday an appeal may present a tough challenge, as attorneys would have to prove they have significant evidence that could have altered the trial's outcome.

And Cleland could easily rule that evidence presented at trial was so overwhelming -- the victims' testimony, for instance -- that it would not have changed the end result, Rominger said.

Despite widespread speculation, Sandusky did not take the stand in his own defense. Amendola said after the verdict that decision was made because Sandusky's adopted son, Matt, was prepared to testify as a rebuttal witness that he, too, was sexually abused by Sandusky.

As of Saturday, Sandusky was on what is commonly called suicide watch, Rominger said. That was not an indication that Sandusky is suicidal, he added, but Cleland and the jail warden just wanted "to put the precautions in place first and then evaluate later."

The former coach will be classified at Pennsylvania's Camp Hill diagnostic facility before he is likely sent to a sex offender unit in the state prison system, Rominger said. If he is sentenced to more than two years, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections would determine the prison where he would serve his time.

Beyond the appeals process, Sandusky could face more charges, perhaps tied to claims made by his adopted son or related to alleged sexual abuse that took place outside Centre County -- including in hotel rooms in Texas and Florida, where some accusers say they accompanied him to Penn State bowl games.

The university itself also still faces fallout from the case, which shook Penn State and raised questions about its response to the abuse allegations. Two former administrators -- Vice President Gary Schultz and Athletic Director Tim Curley -- are awaiting trial on charges of perjury and failing to report abuse. Prosecutors said the two did not notify police after former graduate student and football assistant Mike McQueary told them he saw Sandusky sodomizing a boy in a Penn State shower in 2001.

Authorities didn't learn about McQueary's account until years later. It led to the ouster of iconic head football coach Joe Paterno and university President Graham Spanier. Paterno died shortly afterward of lung cancer.

In addition to the testimony from McQueary and a former janitor at Penn State, several victims said they were repeatedly molested on university property.

In a statement released Friday night after the verdict, the school signaled it wants to seek resolution -- hinting that might include a financial settlement -- with the victims.

"The university wants to provide a forum where the university can privately, expeditiously and fairly address the victims' concerns and compensate them for claims relating to the university," the statement said.

CNN's Susan Candiotti and In Session's Jean Casarez contributed to this report.

 

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